Casablanca Chili

I’m not usually a huge fan of chili—I think that it may have something to do with chili’s role as the standard easy vegetarian option (read: I’ve eaten too much veggie chili in my lifetime…). Last spring, a friend of mine hosted a mini ‘Iron-Chef’ party. In short, everyone made a dish with a ‘secret ingredient’ and a winner of the best dish is declared. The secret ingredient was lime. I made a delicious kiwi-lime sorbet, but sadly did not win. Instead, an unusual veggie chili won. Not only did the chili have lime juice in it, but it also had mango chutney, peanut butter… and no chili powder. I’m not really sure that it constitutes a legit chili, but it does have beans, diced tomatoes, and jalapenos, so it certainly can pass. In any case, I got the recipe- a modified recipe from allrecipes.com that originally calls for cubed ham (!?!?). At the party, the cook subbed Boca crumbles, which seem more suitable than ham in chili anyways.

My version is even modified further, as I make my own homemade mango chutney, and leave out the brown sugar in the chili (the chutney has sugar, so it is still a spicy/sweet dish). This is another dish that both Mike and I can eat (and he even knows that it is faux meat in there…). The flavors are interesting and it keeps me satisfied for a while. Since I make the chutney it takes a bit more work than a standard chili that just involves chopping and tossing everything into one pot, but given that I’m on vacation this week, I could handle it.

Here are the recipe links (remember to sub Boca crumbles for ham):

·      Casablanca Chili

·      Mango Chutney (note that this makes just the right amount for the chili- about 9 oz. if you use 1 med-large mango). I also cut the brown sugar down to 2T from 3 in this recipe and omit the red pepper.

Enjoy!

 

New Cookbooks, Recipe Planning, and the Definition of Stew

I received a copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker  (thanks, Sandy & Bill!) and of course, thus type of cookbook is chock full of soups and stews. I was actually a phantom tester for this cookbook. Kathy Hester (author) put a call out for testers for her new recipe book on a message board that I followed. Although I agreed to test, there weren’t structured ‘assignments’ per se (how I imagined it would be), so I was a slacker and only tested 1 recipe (which I didn’t love…but then again, that’s the point of testing, right?). In any case, I’m excited to see the book in print and more excited to try recipes from the book that passed the taste-testing phase!

I’m had mixed results with slow cookers in the past. I really hate certain vegetables overcooked (green pepper, I’m talking to you…), so know that recipes with offending veggies won’t be a good for me in the slow cooker. Also, my old slow cooker was too hot and had too few cooking time/temp. options (can only set it to low on 8 or 10 hours, and then it will go to warm, but can’t go directly to warm—annoying). I got a new slow cooker about a year ago (this one), and I can now select the time in 30 minute increments and select high, low, or warm at the push of a button. The low setting on this cooker is truly low (whereas the low on the last cooker was way too hot!). In any case, I’ve made quite a few dishes for Mike (not veggie though…), but it is time for me to turn the slow cooker on for my kind of dishes.

Here are a few of the recipe titles that sound appealing to me from the new book:

·      Golden Borsht

·      Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder

·      Asparagus Tarragon Soup

·      Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

·      Hungarian Mushroom Soup

·      Split Pea & Apple Soup

·      Delicata Squash & Pear Soup

·      Hard Cider & Cabbage Stew

You will have to wait to see if I get around to all of these… but I’ll certainly try a few! Right now the Split Pea & Apple is sounding best to me, but we’ll see where I end up starting.

I also got a cute little pocket-style Vegetarian cookbook (thanks, Jenn!), and there are also some really interesting sounding soup recipes in there too. Sometimes those mini-cookbooks are just cute, but not really strong in the content. This one appears to be both cute and useful- so I’ll report on any planned recipes from that one too!

Tonight I’m making a veggie curry dish. This begs the question, is a curry a soup/stew? Therefore, does it ‘count’ for my 50 soup plan in 2012? Although when I think curry I don’t immediately think stew, when I stop to think about it, curry does have the characteristics that might fit the bill: veggies, simmering in a liquid for a while in one pot, good served over rice/noodles...Naturally I turned to the premiere source for my pressing questions to validate my curry-stew definition: Wikipedia. The Wiki definition of stew makes my curry-stew definition legit: A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. The definition even goes on to say that the liquid, although often water, can be just about anything—including broth and beer. I figure if beer ‘counts’ then coconut milk does too. As such, I’ll count curries as stews in my upcoming cooking quest.

A First-- Dilly Stew with Rosemary Dumplings

I polished off my eggplant peanut soup this evening, so started in on pot of Dilly Stew with Rosemary Dumplings. This is a first for me—the first time that I’ve made a soup with dumplings, biscuits, or any similarly doughy addition. I’ve been intrigued by this concept for a long time, but never could be bothered with what I assumed was an arduous process to make dumplings. This recipe appealed to me for a few reasons:

1.     Dill is one of my favorite herbs, and it is closely followed by rosemary and thyme (in that order).

2.     I had baby carrots in my fridge that had seen better days, and wanted to use them up… yet I didn’t have enough for a carrot based soup.

3.     The dumplings in the photo on the site inspired me to enter the wonderful world of dumpling dishes… once and for all!

Although this dish is mostly for lunches/dinners this week, I couldn’t resist trying a ramekin full this evening, with a baby dumpling topping the dish. I made it exactly as the recipe instructed, or at least to the best of my ability to do so (and given the quantity of olive oil in the recipe this is unusual…). A few comments:

1.     Dumpling making is actually not difficult at all. It was about as challenging as making pancakes, and it was fun to drop them into the hot stew and then open up the lid 14 minutes later to see how they had expanded. They sort of remind me of those gross toys that my brother used to have—the ones that start out as little itty bit clumps, and then soak in water and turn into a gooey alligator. I realize that’s not a very appetizing analogy, but they really did grow like those creatures!

2.     The full amount of olive oil (3 Tbl in the stew itself, and then another 2 in the biscuit dough) was too much for me. The soup itself actually tasted too greasy for my taste (and that’s saying something—I’m not one to shy away from olive oil). Next time I’ll see how I can make the roux with less olive oil. Anytime there’s a roux I’m hesitant to mess with the ‘formula’- it seems more risky than just omitting some of the oil in a standard sauté base.

3.     The potatoes take a backseat to the carrots and celery in this recipe--- and I wonder if I could omit them next time. They may contribute to the stew-like consistency with their starch (?), but they didn’t do much for the flavor.

4.     That being said, I think that I’d like to add green cabbage to this soup next time (perhaps in place of the potatoes). I thought that I had seen cabbage in the photo of the dish on the PPK blog, so in my head it had cabbage. I also think that cabbage and dill go nicely together--- (and it also goes with carrots, celery and onions). Not sure about cabbage and white beans, but it can’t be a horrible combination, can it?

5.     The dumplings were cooler to watch/make than they were to eat. Now, I’m certainly not dismissing all dumplings, I just think that I’ll have to try different recipes now that I’ve gotten over my fear of the dumpling. The flavor of these was just fine, but the texture was a bit more goopy than I was imagining/wanting. Granted, I don’t actually think that I’ve ever eating a traditional dumpling in a soup before (maybe they are supposed to be that way??)—so I have little/no comparison. The closest thing I’ve had before are matzo balls, which have a lighter, fluffier texture than these things (and, it should be noted, are one of the world’s most delicious foods…).

In any case, the flavor of the soup itself, with the fresh herbs is quite good. The dumplings are a success in the sense that they have helped me get over my fear of making dumplings—so I’m happy with my result. I’ve calculated this soup as 6 servings, so I’ll be eating it for the rest of the week (though Mike did comment that it ‘looks good…’—so hopefully he’ll help me eat it too…). Since this soup is a bit higher on the fat/carbs that I’m used to, I’ll welcome his help getting through it!

***UPDATE***
I do not care for this soup. I think that it is because it is more of a stew than a soup, and the flavors are a bit too rich for me. The rosemary dumplings have a strange soapy taste to me (too much rosemary perhaps??), and the soup/stew base itself is just a bit much. That said, I'm not giving up on dumpling altogether (it was the flavor of these particular ones--- not the texture--- that was off). And, on a positive note, Mike liked this stuff too! Something about my new soup adventure is making him more apt to try new things than is typical- I like it!

Getting a Head Start with Spicy Peanut Eggplant and Shallot Stew

Okay... I was so excited about my year of soups, that I just added a new soup to my repertoire. I made the Spicy Peanut Eggplant and Shallot Stew from Veganomicon (by Isa and Terry over at the Post Punk Kitchen).

I made a few modifications…

First, I cut back on the oil. The original recipe called for ¼ cup peanut oil (mostly added a Tablespoon at a time while the various veggies and spices are added). I used a total of 2 ½ Tablespoons--- and I used Canola. I did a full T when I initially caramelized the shallots, and then another T when adding the onions. With the ginger and hot pepper (I used jalapeno), I just added ½ T.

Second, I haven’t (yet) added the cilantro and lime.  However, I plan to do so. Just excited to get my first post in—and it isn’t cool yet.

Also, I didn’t use any tomato paste because (a) I don’t care for the acidic flavor that tomato paste often imparts to a recipe, and (b) I didn’t have any! If had some on hand I probably would have used a tiny bit…

Lastly, I didn't have 4 oz. of shallots (that is a lot of shallots!). I had 3 decent sized shallots, and those were just under 1 oz. Oppps! I do think that additional shallots would have been nice. Note to self: 4 oz. of shallots is probably  13-14 averaged sized shallots.

I used crunchy organic PB—and I’m glad that I went with the crunchy version. The little bits of peanut are delightful additions in the bites that have them.

Also, I have a broth dilemma right now. Now, let’s get a few things straight. First, I have, in the past, made my own veggie broth by collecting scraps of my cooking veggies, storing them, then boiling them altogether with spices and straining. I have tried this a lot. I do not like it. I have read all about the different types of veggies that you should use, and which you should avoid, and I STILL don’t care for my homemade broth. So, a few years ago I sought out a good veggie tetra-pack broth. The Organic No Chicken broth from Pacific Foods was okay, but sometimes the flavor was a bit off in my soups. Then, on a whim I tried the Better Than Bullion organic vegetable base (add 1 tsp. base to 1 cup water), and I was happy.  I even tried their ‘No Beef’ and ‘No Chicken’ varieties—but the basic vegetable base was a more versatile and overall better taste for me. So, for years I happily kept a jar of the base in my fridge, and had broth at the ready whenever a recipe called for veggie broth or stock (or, when a recipe called for chicken or beef stock and I was modifying). However, in recent months, both the ‘regular’ grocery store near me, and the veg*n friendly Sunflower Markets stopped carrying the veggie base! They continue to carry the meaty versions, but not the veggie. As such, my current broth is Not Chick’n Bullion Cube from Edward and Sons. It is more a bullion (cube form) than my regular paste, and well… Better than Bullion is indeed better! I think that the bullion cube is a bit too salty. I may need to order the Better Than online (after all, I’ll surely go through a case of the stuff this year in my soup adventures).

So, all that being said, my Spicy Peanut Eggplant Shallot Stew was a bit too salty—and I blame the bullion. However, that aside, this is an excellent recipe for 2 reasons:

1)   It has eggplant and I really enjoyed it! Eggplant is a polarizing food for many vegetarians… love it or hate it. I used to love it, then I hated it, and now I’m actively trying to learn to appreciate it again. This soup definitely earns points for the eggplant.

2)   Mike ate it—willingly—I mean, he went to the pot when it was on the stove and ladled himself a bowl!!!! This is significant because (a) he doesn’t tend to like soup, (b) he doesn’t tend to like things that don’t look particularly appetizing… and I’ll admit that this soup falls into that category. Now, I don’t know that he’d consider this a meal per se (I would), but he ate it without my prompting, and that makes me glad.

So, all in all, this is a winner. It wasn’t as spicy as I would have liked, so I’m going to add some of the optional cayenne powder tomorrow when I re-heat it for my birthday lunch. It also was pleasantly soupy; rather than a thick stew. I am sure that it will thicken up a bit when it sits in the fridge overnight, and the flavors may develop a bit more then too- but I’m definitely happy with the soup. I want to see how I can add a little star rating system for the blog—think that would be a nice visual to see that I rated a particular recipe a certain # of stars (or bowls/mugs perhaps…??).

I may try a different peanut soup once we get into 2012… but this one won’t be served again in my house until 2013, per my ‘rules’!

She Serves Soup- The Plan

I love soup. For me, soup is not just an appetizer, and it certainly is not something that's only served in the winter. Year round, I enjoy soups, stews, and chilis. Soups provide the nearly perfect meal for me--- my kind of soups are heavy on the veggies, vegan, and often include beans, grains, or some hearty addition to make it a meal. Although I have a few favorite go-to soup recipes, I am always on the lookout for more.

This past fall I have not had as much time for cooking as I have had in the past. Balancing a full time job, PhD classes, and time with my family (cat, Basmati; dog, Ghirardelli ('Delli'); & husband, Mike) has taken its toll on my kitchen time! Nevertheless, I am committed to keeping my cooking going during this busy time. To do so, I have devised a contest of sorts for myself. I like structure, challenges, and games... which is why I am going to serve 50 different soups in 2012.

Each week (with 2 byes), I will make a new soup recipe. If I miss a week I can 'make it up' the next week by doubling up and making 2 recipes the week following. I'll be open to drawing from my existing recipes that are tried and true, but will not duplicate a recipe within the year. I'll use my existing cookbooks, online websites, books borrowed from the library, and possibly acquire a few new cookbooks along the way too. Each soup will be vegan. My intent is not to create new recipes (though I won't rule out that possibility altogether...), but rather to review recipes and enjoy the variety that I'll surely experience. I'll post my progress, complete with my reviews and recipes here (giving credit to the authors/original chefs). She Serves Soup will be a place for me to hold myself accountable to my goal, and for friends and family to check in on me and read my reviews. I'll have fun with the cooking-- and the blogging too, and ensure that I keep on cooking despite my hectic schedule.

When I'm done? Well, then I'll have quite the array of recipes for my favorite food. But back to the game aspect of all of this... a good game/contest (even with yourself...) has a good prize to reward the winner. As such, at the end of 2012, assuming that I have successfully completed the project, I (or someone who loves me very much) will buy me either new dishes (with wonderful soup bowls of course), a nice new soup pot, or some other extravagant soup-related kitchen item. Who knows... with all this soup cooking I just may discover some 'must have' soup gadget or kitchen item that would make a suitable prize.